Slice thickness gauge for slicers



June 21, 1949. '.z. swANsoN 2,474,171

SLICE THICKNESS GAUGE FOR SLICERS Filed Nov. 25, 1945 I' -Zeg azi? Patented `lune 21, 1949 iJNI'i'ED STATES OFFIC SLICE TMCKNESS GAUGE FOR SLICERS Ziegner Swanson, De Kalb, Ill.

Application November 23, 1945, Serial No. 630,291

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a new and improved slicer for cutting bread, cake, meat, cheese, pickles, etc., in slices of different thicknesses, such as g, and

Various Slicers have been proposed and many of them have incorporated adjustable means for varying the thickness of the slice. However, these adjustments have usually been too complicated and inconvenient or even diicult to operate. It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to provide a Slicer having a simple and inexpensive slice thickness adjustment and one which may be operated quickly and easily.

The gauge block provided, in accordance with my invention, has dovetail-shaped grooves in its four faces for wedgingly receiving a dovetail rib on the base cf the slicer in any one of four different positions of adjustment of the block so that the housewife can, without any difficulty and without the need for using any tools, set the block for whatever slice thickness is desired. The slice thicknesses are preferably indicated directly on the outer end of the gauge block to avoid likelihood of any confusion in the adjustment thereof.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a Slicer equipped with a slice thickness gauge block in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the Slicer on a larger scale, approximately full size, :and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional detail on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The same reference numerals are applied to torresponding parts throughout these views.

The slicer comprises a flat rectangular base 4, large enough to permit resting a loaf of bread on it so that it will be slidable freely between the opposed uprights 5 and 6 that are provided on one end portion of the base. An extension 'l' of the upright 5 serves to guide the loaf and assist in keeping it aligned properly with the base so that slices of uniform thickness may be out. The vertical slots 8 in the uprights 5 and 6 serve to guide the knife in cutting the bread, cake, meat, cheese, pickles or other food being sliced. The base l is preferably provided With downwardly projecting feet 9 for support of the Slicer in slightly elevated relation to the table or other support on which the Slicer is used. The whole body of the slicer may be molded in one piece of plastic material.

The slice thickness may be gauged accurately with the gauge block lll which is also preferably molded of plastic material to match the body of the slicer or give a pleasing contrast to the color of said body. This gauge block is of square cross section and uniform size from end ,to end and has longitudinally extending dovetailshaped grooves Il-I4 provided therein, one on each side face, these grooves being of identical form and size and being all parallel to, but differently spaced, from the longitudinal edges of said body so that when the block is assembled on the dovetail-shaped rib I5 using the groove I I, the dimension at IB is 13e, but is with groove l2, {'g with groove I3, and T96 with groove I4. In that way, one may slice cheese or pickles, for example, to T36 thickness by holding the cheese or pickle against the inner face II of the block Ill while using the slots 8 as a guide for the knife. Bread or cake, on the other hand, may be sliced to a medium or maximum thickness of or Tse when the block I0 has been removed from the rib I5 and turned around and replaced on the rib using groove I3 or I4. The housewife has no diiculty in placing the block IE] in the correct position, because the slice thicknesses are indicated on the end of the block adjacent the grooves II-I as indicated at I8. The rib l 5 is preferably tapered and the grooves II-I are correspondingly tapered so that the rib will Wedge tightly in the selected groove and, thus, hold the block Ill firmly in its assembled position and avoid likelihood of the block slipping oif and, thus, eventually being misplaced or lost. The average housewife is not sufficiently mechanically inclined to know how to operate some of the complicated slice thickness gauges provided on other Slicers, but it is believed that with the present construction, even the least mechanically inclined person should have no trouble using the slicer efficiently and quickly changing the setting of the gauge block to suit different needs. inasmuch as there are no screws or nuts to tighten and loosen, the operation of changing the setting of the gauge block takes a fraction of the time it would otherwise require, and there are no screws or nuts to get loose and require tightening from time to time or apt to drop off and be lost.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn with a View to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. In a. device of the character described comprising an elongated flat base having vertical knife guide means projecting upwardly therefrom, a slice thickness gauge block for said device comprising a block of polygonal cross-section and uniform size from end to end, and having longitudinally extending grooves provided therein, one on each side face, said grooves being of identical form and size and parallel to but differently spaced from the longitudinal edges of said block, and an elongated rib on said base in a predetermined spaced and substantially parallel relationship to said guide means and tting selectively in any one of said grooves, said rib being dovetailshaped, and said grooves being also dovetailshaped and all of a size to receive the rib with a close working fit,

2. In a device of the character described comprising an elongated flat base having vertical knife guide means projecting upwardly therefrom, a slice thickness gauge block for said device comprising a block of polygonal cross-section and uniform size from end to end, and having longitudinally extending grooves provided therein, and on each side face, said grooves being of identical form and size and parallel to but differently spaced from the longitudinal edges of said block, and an elongated rib on said base in a predetermined spaced and substantially parallel relationship to said guide means and fitting selectively in any one of said grooves, said rib being dovetailshaped and tapered toward one end, and said grooves being also dovetail-shaped and tapered toward one end of said block` for wedging engagement of said rib in said grooves.

3. In combination, a support, an elongated rib thereon, and a gauge block for use in gauging dimensions, comprising a block of polygonal crosssection and uniform size from end to end adapted to be placed on said support in any one of a plurality of positions of rotation thereof and having longitudinally extending grooves provided therein, one on each side face, said grooves being of identical form and size and parallel to but differently spaced from the longitudinal edges of said block and all of a size to receive the aforesaid rib with a close Working fit.

4. In combination, a support, an elongated rib thereon, and a gauge block for use in gauging dimensions, comprising a block of polygonal crosssection and uniform size from end to end adapted to be placed on said support in any one of a plurality of positions of rotation thereof and having longitudinally extending grooves provided therein, one on each side face, said grooves being of identical form and size and parallel to but dinerently spaced from the longitudinal edges of said block and all of a size to receive the aforesaid rib with a close Working fit, said rib being tapered so that it is wider at one end than at the other, and said grooves being also similarly tapered for wedglng engagement of said rib in either of said grooves.

5. In combination, a support, an elongated rib thereon, and a gauge block for use in gauging dimensions, comprising a block of polygonal crosssection and uniform size from end to end adapted to be placed on said support in any one of a plurality of positions of rotation thereof and having longitudinally extending grooves provided therein, one on each side face, said grooves being of identical form and size and parallel to but differently spaced from the longitudinal edges of said block and all of a size to receive the aforesaid rib with a close working fit, the rib being dovetail-shaped in cross-section and all of said grooves being correspondingly dovetail-shaped in section.

6. In combination, a support, an elongated rib thereon, and a gauge block for use in gauging dimensions, comprising a block of polygonal crosssection and uniform size from end to end adapted to be placed on said support in any one of a plurality of positions of rotation thereof and having longitudinally extending grooves provided therein, one on each side face, said grooves being of identical form and size and parallel to but differently spaced from the longitudinal edges of said block and all of a size to receive the aforesaid rib with a close Working fit, said rib being tapered so that it is Wider at one end than at the other, and said grooves being also similarly tapered for wedging engagement of said rib in either of said grooves, the rib being dovetail-shaped in crossseotion and all of said grooves being correspondingly dovetail-shaped in section.

ZIEGNER SWANSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 333,512 Gardner Jan. 5, 1886 1,575,452 Shave Mar. 2, 1926 1,589,030 Whiting June 15, 1926 2,340,802 English Feb. l, 1944 2,398,192 Scheminger, Jr Apr. 9, 1946 

